May 4, 2016
New York

Chateaugay OKs Jericho Rise wind farm

By DENISE A. RAYMO | Press-Republican | May 3, 2016 | www.pressrepublican.com

CHATEAUGAY – Chateaugay Town Council members endorsed a host-community agreement Monday night to allow development of another wind-farm project.

And the Bellmont Town Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Brainardsville Town Office to discuss a similar agreement offer.

The $156 million wind-tower project, Jericho Rise Wind Park, aims to construct a total 37 towers in the towns of Bellmont and Chateaugay.

Bellmont was to decide the host-agreement issue last week but tabled the proposal for further discussion when members learned the wording of its agreement was not an exact match for the one offered to the Town of Chateaugay.

Tonight’s Bellmont Town Council meeting is open to all.

The Chateaugay Town Council passed its host agreement Monday, Town Clerk Phyllis LeMay confirmed.

TOWERS BY NOVEMBER

Aron Branam, development project manager for the wind farm, said the final permit needed to begin construction had been signed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was being incorporated into the total permit package.

Bids are already in hand, he said, and the company was waiting for execution of the host-community agreements before awarding contracts for the work.

Components for the wind towers themselves are expected to arrive by late summer or early autumn, Branam said. And developers expect to have them erected by the end of November.

PROJECT DOWNSIZED

Jericho Rise is being developed by EDP Renewables on property previously identified for use by Noble Environmental Power.

Noble had halted its plans to build and launch the site in 2009 as investors became more cautious with their spending during the global economic downturn.

The original plans had Chateaugay hosting 34 turbines and Bellmont 19.

The downsized Jericho Rise is expected to create eight towers in Bellmont and 29 in Chateaugay and generate enough power to service about 24,000 homes.

‘POSITIVE EXPERIENCE’

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in November 2014 that Jericho Rise would be one of four proposed renewable-energy projects in New York to share in a $206 million development fund from New York State Energy Research and Development designed to jumpstart their plans.

Branham was pleased to be nearing the awarding of contracts.

“In any negotiation, there’s back and forth,” he said of dealing with the local municipalities. “I think, overall, it’s been a positive experience.”

The Chateaugay community also hosts the Noble Chateaugay Wind Park, with 71 towers.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/05/04/chateaugay-oks-jericho-rise-wind-farm/